What Will It Be?
by GreySawyer
Summary: When Marcus begins investigating Amber's ledge accident at the beach house, Steffy must decide where her loyalties lie. Bill/Steffy/Marcus.
1. Chapter 1

"It was you, wasn't it?" Marcus asked. He had a strong feeling for a long time that she was involved somehow, but never had enough proof. After talking to Amber and prying the information out of her he decided to trust his gut and go straight to the source.

"What was me, Marcus?" she replied.

"You were the one who…who saved her. You saved my daughter."

Steffy looked away from him for a split second, and she knew her lack of eye contact had given her away. She didn't want many people knowing about this. Bill's freedom was at stake and she was not going to jeopardize that. Not even for her best friend, her first love.

"Marcus whatever you think I did—or whatever you think you know—you need to keep it to yourself."

"Why?"

"Because…it's complicated."

Marcus took a step closer to her. "Steffy…you need to talk to me. I didn't know Rosie was mine at the time, but now that I do the thought of ever losing just…" He could feel his eyes begin to water up. "You would be helping me more than you know."

Steffy's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I'm protecting my daughter. She's not ever going to be put in a position like that again…where she can't even defend herself. Steffy…if it wasn't for you I could have lost my little girl. I could have lost her before I even had the chance to get to know her. "

Steffy looked at him with such compassion. He was turning out to be such an amazing father. She truly admired the way Marcus stepped up to the plate when he—and everyone else—discovered that Rosie was _his_ biological daughter. Not Oliver's, and most definitely not Liam's, as Amber had lead everybody to believe.

"Who told you…who made you believe I did anything?"

Marcus sighed. "Amber."

Panic struck Steffy in an instant. _If Marcus got her to crack with what she knew, who else would be able to do the same? But, then again, they do share a child together, so it does make sense. If Marcus goes poking around this could get really ugly. I have to stop this from ever getting out. Bill needs me to keep him safe, because that wench he's married to can't be counted on not to guilt him into turning himself in… _

"Steff…" Marcus whispered. She looked up at him again, noticing the seriousness in his eyes. They were such gentle eyes…such _loving _eyes. "If you were the one that pulled Amber off that ledge at the beach house, please, just tell me. The more I know about what happened during Amber's pregnancy, the better chance I have at protecting my daughter. And right now that is my top priority."

Steffy's lips pursed together, and Marcus understood exactly what was going on inside her head. She knew something about what happened, but there was more to it than that. There was a much bigger picture to all of this than he realized—and Steffy was fighting herself to tell him the truth.

" Marcus…all I can say…is that Amber is very lucky. I'm glad she's alive and well, and you should be too."

He scoffed. "I can't believe that after everything we've been through—everything you've _put me_ through—you're refusing to be honest with me right now."

"I'm not trying to hurt you Marcus," she replied, clearly stung by what he said. "There's just a lot about what happened with Amber that you don't know about and it's better if it stays that way!"

"Really? Is it Steffy? Because if I have any shot at all at gaining full custody—"

"Wait—what?"

Marcus paused, angry with himself for revealing too much. He had not uttered those words to anyone else until now. Not even his own mother.

"Marcus I…I didn't know…" He turned away from her. "Hey! Look at me," she commanded while grabbing a hold of his arm.

"No. No forget it, this has been a waste of time." He jerked out of her grip and headed for the door.

"Marcus! Marcus wait—Ok! Ok I admit—it was me. I saved her. I pulled her off that ledge."

Marcus slowly turned around to look at her. Steffy was approaching him, breathless from her reluctant revelation. She strode past him and closed the door, locking it. There was dead silence between them, the only thing audible was the rhythm of their breathing. Marcus stepped toward her and gently touched her elbow, turning her around.

Steffy was timid at first, but she finally surrendered herself into his arms. He wrapped them around her and rested his chin within the strands of her hair. They stood just like that for what felt like ages until she finally returned his embrace by placing her arms around his waist in return.

_God…it's been so long since I've felt like this…so safe… _Steffy thought. _I know I can trust Marcus. He's never done anything to hurt me. But, I've been in love with Bill for a long time now. If I confess about why Amber was hanging on that ledge to help Marcus with his case…Bill could lose everything. And then I would lose him. _

_What the hell am I going to do? _


	2. Chapter 2

Steffy pulled back, and reluctantly so. Being held by Marcus like that had jolted something back into her senses. It felt as if…as if something inside her had awoken. Something that had been asleep for a very, very long time.

Marcus took notice of her fluster and released her from his arms. She looked up at him with such vulnerability in her eyes. He could see she was struggling with her feelings for Bill, and—dare he hope—himself.

And there it was.

There was no way he could possibly deny it any longer. He was still as in love with this girl as he was the first day he laid eyes on her. All the other women he dated after their breakup were attempts to fill her void in his heart. To make himself forget all the pain she inflicted on him when she left him for Rick…to forget everything she ever meant to him. But they couldn't. Part of him, he realized, was still very hurt by what she had done to him. It just didn't hit him until now.

Marcus watched her go from Rick, to Oliver, then Liam, and finally the almighty Dollar Bill. How on earth was he ever going to compare to that? And at the end of the day—did it even matter? He would probably never make her fall in love him again. There would always be someone else.

"Marcus," she gently whispered, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I think it's amazing…the lengths you'll go to for your daughter."

"I'd do anything for her. She's my little girl."

Steffy smiled. "I know. And I know you want to protect her. I can't say I blame you, considering Amber's history."

"Yeah, well, that's exactly why I want full custody Steff. I don't want Amber to have anything to do with my daughter."

"But Marcus, are you sure that's going to be a good idea in the long run? I mean, what if Rosie resents you for keeping her away from her mother one day?"

"Then maybe that's a risk I'll have to take."

Steffy sighed. "I wouldn't be so sure. This could backfire on you in a really bad way. We all know what Amber is capable of…"

Marcus' eyebrows raised. "_Meaning_?"

Steffy knew where this was going. She decided to evade it for as long as possible. "_Meaning_, you should have gotten to know her a little better before the two of you…you know…"

"Wow, that's rich coming from you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why would you say that?"

"I thought I could trust her, Steffy. I thought she was my friend. I guess I should have learned my lesson about getting too close to women who really want someone else."

That did it—she was stung. Bad.

"Does that ring any bells for you _now_?"

"Marcus…" she whimpered. He gazed back at her for what seemed like forever.

"I trusted you too, Steff. Once upon a time. You and me we were—we were _so close_. I loved you more than I had ever loved anyone."

"Marcus I loved you too," she replied, desperate for him to believe her.

"Yeah…just not enough…"

He looked at her one last time, and walked out the door.

Steffy couldn't move to run after him. She couldn't even breathe. The tears running rapidly down her face took her breath away and clouded her vision. _He never told me he felt this way…God, what did I do? How could I have hurt him so much? _

Steffy had always felt a significant amount of guilt for how she treated Marcus towards the end of their relationship. Things really became clear to her after her breakup with Rick…when she learned of his sick agenda in using her to get back at her father. Marcus never would have done that. Not in a million years.

But then there was Bill. He was intoxicating in every way imaginable—and she had become so much like him in the last couple of years. They both shared an insatiable yearning for power and success. They both wanted to build their empires. Hers at Forrester Creations; his at Spencer Publications. Together, they were a powerhouse—and their passion and chemistry sucked the life out of the very air they breathed when they were in a room together. Katie was a formality—nothing more than a trophy wife Logan who had only one thing to offer Bill—one thing that Steffy prided herself on doing better.

But Marcus words had changed her today. She realized then and there, without a doubt, that next to Bill—he was her one other weakness.

The next thing she knew she was headed for her bag. She took out her phone and pressed one of her speed dial buttons. After a few rings, she got an answer. "Steffy what is it?"

"Bill I need to see you. Now."

"Steffy I don't have time for your games—"

"I mean it Bill! Now! My apartment. You've got a half an hour."

"What the hell is this about?"

"I'll tell you when you get here. Just come!" Without another word Steffy snapped her phone shut and ran out the door.

_**Dun Dun Duuuuunn! What is Steffy gonna do? :p I really enjoyed writing this chapter-and I hope you all enjoyed reading it! If you want to give me feedback on what you think of the storyline, I'd love to hear from you! **_

_**-Grey**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**I apologize for the wait everyone, I was having a bad case of writer's block on this chapter. Hope you all find it to be worth the wait, enjoy :)**_

Steffy paced back and forth across her living room. Bill was about to meet her any moment, and she was clueless as to how she was going to explain everything to him. She just hoped he would accept her help.

The doorbell rang, and Steffy rushed to her door. "Bill I—_Amber?_"

"Hi Steffy. I'm sorry to just burst in on you out of the blue like this, but I was wondering if we could talk?"

Steffy was stunned. Amber was the last person she expected to see. "Yeah…yeah sure, Amber. Come on in."

"Thanks." Steffy slowly closed the door behind her and timidly approached her houseguest.

"Can I…get you something to drink?"

"No, thank you I'm fine. This will only take a few minutes."

"Ok…what can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to thank you again. You know, for what you did for me at the beach house."

"Well yeah, of course. I'm glad I was there. I wasn't going to let you die."

"I'm not just glad for me. I'm so grateful that nothing happened to my baby. I would have been devastated if I lost Rosie."

Steffy looked upon her with compassion. She thought of Marcus and how he had said the same thing to her earlier. _I could have lost her before I even had the chance to get to know her…_

"I know how much you love your daughter. If it were me, I'd feel the same way."

"Her safety is the most important thing in the world to me…and her well being." Amber had a hint of deviousness in her eyes. Steffy knew that whatever came out of her mouth next was _not_ going to be good. "Well I know Marcus is doing everything he can to support you and Rosie. He's a staple at Forrester Creations and he's not going anywhere, so if that's what you're worried about—

"Oh no no, on the contrary. I'm not worried about Marcus; he's such a great guy. Not that I have to tell you of course. I know you guys had a thing once upon a time," she grinned.

"Yeah, yeah we did. I still care about him very much. He's a great friend."

"Word has it there's another man in town that you also care a great deal about…a man that would like nothing more than to see me behind bars right now."

Steffy eyed her carefully. "Well Amber, when you play with fire, you're gonna get burned. There are certain things Bill is willing to put up with, but messing with the people he cares about is not one of them."

"It's not a crime to fall in love, Steffy." She strolled over to the window, looking out at the city beneath her. "There are a lot of other things people can do that go far beyond that."

Steffy was rigid, but played it cool. "True."

Amber turned around, her mischievous grin never leaving her face. She was looking directly at Steffy now—square in the eyes. "I know, Steffy."

"Know what, Amber?"

"Everything."

"You know everything huh? Some would call you egotistical for making a statement like that."

"Don't play coy with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"No, Amber, I really don't."

"You're gonna make me spell it out for you?"

Steffy didn't respond. Amber walked closer to her, closing the gap of space between them. "I know that you weren't the only one at the beach house that day. There was someone else. Someone that you happen to know."

Steffy remained silent—at first. But she had to ask. "Oh yeah? And who would that be?"

"I think you know exactly who I'm talking about."

"Do you want to give me a name, Amber?"

"I'll tell you what I'll give you, Steffy. It's a proposition—you're the perfect person to accept the offer."

"Am I?"

"Oh yes. It's kinda perfect actually. You give me what I want, and I'll make it worth you're while."

"What could you possibly offer me that I don't already have?"

"Freedom."

Steffy wanted to smack the smirk right off Amber's face. Now she was going too far—how _dare_ she threaten her. She was starting to think Marcus had the right idea about taking his daughter from Amber. At this point, she was just asking for it.

"Amber I am free. Take a look around you. I have absolutely everything that I could possibly want and need. I haven't done anything wrong, so there's nothing for me to be afraid of."

"Mmmmm…I wouldn't be too sure of that."

"You know, I'm starting to think that letting you fall off that cliff would have been the better

option."

Amber's expression turned serious and cold. "So would Bill."

Hearing the accusation out loud nearly made her heart stop. Amber's eyes portrayed exactly where she stood on her statement. She was serious—dead serious.

Amber started circling her now. Her slow and calculated pacing gave Steffy the creeps…and she was not creeped out easily.

"My accident at the beach house that day wasn't the only suspicious thing that happened to me while I was staying there. Before that day I spent most of my time alone in that big, empty house. I was scared that something was going to happen to me, that my baby and I weren't really safe."

"You should've gotten a dog or something."

"I tried to get Liam, but we all know how that turned out. So I decided to go for another option. Since I couldn't count on Liam to protect me, I asked him to put security cameras on the grounds so I could keep an eye out for myself. You never know what kind of people might be eyeing a house like that…"

_Oh, noooooo! _Steffy thought. "Well, that was a pretty smart move on your part," she answered; still keeping her cool as well as she had been before.

"I'll say. Even smarter than that was having the laptop with all of the footage of the property with me at all times. Liam did prove to be useful in that respect, at least."

"And?"

"_And,_ Steffy—I know that Bill was there! _He_ wanted to push me off that ledge, but because he's Bill Spencer he conned Mother Nature into doing the job for him!"

"Amber!" Steffy exclaimed, but Amber interrupted her before she could say another word.

"I know the truth!" Amber roared. "Bill was so angry with me for ruining his son's life that he wanted me dead! And he asked you to cover up for him—to forget about what you saw and just leave me to fall to my death—but you didn't! You saved my life, and now you're going to save me again by helping me get what I want—or I will give my proof to the cops and send _him_ to jail."

Steffy backed into her sofa and fell on it. She gathered her head in her hands, racking her brain for a solution to all of this. And Bill was on his way to see her right now. He would be knocking on her door at any moment!

"Amber you can't!"

"Oh, but I can Steffy. I have the smoking gun that will prove the almighty Dollar Bill Spencer is capable of premeditated murder, and he'll go away for a long, long time."

"Alright—fine! What is it that you want? What do I have to do with any of this?"

"You have pull with Bill. You can get him to pay."

"Pay what? How much?"

"I want 3 million dollars a year…for life. My daughter is going to have the best of everything, and he's going to give it to her."

"But you have Marcus supporting her—_and_ you—incredibly well! Why are you going to squeeze Bill on the sly? You and Rosie will want for nothing for the rest of your lives with Marcus taking care of you!"

"Rosie needs to see that her mother can take care of her just as well as her father. I grew up having to fight for everything I got, Steffy. I will not let my daughter ever have to hear the word 'No"' for something she wants because I can't afford to give it to her on my own. She will have the best education, travel the world to anywhere she wants to go, have the nicest clothes, a fancy car—everything that Bill Spencer's family never has to do without!"

"But Amber what makes you think I can convince Bill to do this for you? Huh? He goes on a full frontal attack on anyone that tries to box him into a corner. He's not going to take this lying down."

"You're a clever woman, Steffy. Forrester Creations' head PR guru—which means you know how to put a spin on just about anything. You're the executive hotshot—you figure it out."

"Amber you know what—you need to go. Now."

"Fine. But just remember exactly how much power I have in this situation Steffy." She walked towards the door with haughty confidence. "Get Bill to do this for me—and I'll destroy the evidence. You'll both never have to worry about me revealing what really happened that day at the beach house. It'll be like nothing ever happened."

Steffy didn't even turn to watch Amber leave and close the door behind her. _I cannot believe this is happening…what am I going to tell Bill? Hell, what am I going to tell Marcus? _

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on her door. _Stay calm, you're gonna figure this out. You're Steffy Forrester—no one threatens you and gets away with it._ She approached the door quickly and put her ear close to it. "Who is it?"

"Santa Claus—who else were you expecting Steffy? Come on, let me in."

It was Bill. She practically ripped open the door and yanked him inside.

"What the hell was that for?" He barked.

Steffy took a peek outside the hallway and then shut the door behind her. "Sit down. We have some serious business to discuss."

**End of Chapter 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**_I don't know what it is, but I've once again found my inspiration for this story! There won't be so many gaps in between chapters, I promise my good people. Hope you all enjoy this latest installment. If there is a way that you would like me to slant in my storytelling give me a shout and I'll definitely consider your thoughts and ideas :)_**

"Steffy I swear—this better be serious. If someone's not dying then I don't want to hear it."

She went right for the jugular, not holding anything back. "It's not over Bill—what happened with Amber. She knows."

"What the hell are you talking about?" His voice resonated in irritation—but there was a slight hint of panic emerging as well.

"Amber knows you were at the beach house the day she fell off the balcony. Bill—Bill she's got proof."

There was a hard moment of silence before he answered her. "What do you mean, she has proof? What kind of proof are we talking about here?"

Steffy closed her eyes and quickly exhaled her anxiety. "Amber asked Liam to install security cameras on the grounds because she was afraid of being alone in the house all day. She has the laptop containing the footage of those security cameras…she saw you coming up behind her right before she fell. She also saw us talking right before you left, and how I pulled her from the cliff. She knows Bill—and she can use it in a court of law to sentence you to prison."

Bill's anger began to flare within him. The sound of his exhale mimicked a raging bull, ready to charge. "Steffy…who told you this?"

"Amber. You just missed her."

"That little gold-digging bitch…it's not enough that she tries to ruin my son's life, she's got to ruin _mine_ too?" He began pacing. You know right now, I really wish you hadn't been there to save her. If you would have just left when I told you to none of this would be happening right now!"

"Hey—don't you dare blame me for this! If Amber would have died by your hand things would have been much worse for you and you know it. Think of the kinds of charges you'd be facing right now!" She ran her hand through her hair in frustration. "Let that be a reminder to you the next time you want to blame me for your mistakes!"

Bill turned away from her, embarrassed by the rashness of his words. Steffy was absolutely right—not that he would ever really admit it straight out. "You make—you make a good point Steffy."

"You're damn right I do."

"Alright…what else did Amber tell you? What does she want?"

"She wants a pay off."

"How much?"

Steffy didn't want to say how much. All she wanted was for this to go away. She thought of the way Marcus had held her earlier…how safe his muscular arms had made her feel. Then she drifted to the feeling of Bill's lips on hers…

"Three million a year. For life…"

"Damnit!" He pounded his fist against her wall.

"Hey! You don't want to add a bill for fixing my wall to your Amber tab, do you?"

"Very funny Steffy. Now get serious. I'm gong to call my lawyers. Maybe I'll talk to Justin as well, see what he can do for me."

"Wait—Bill—you are sure you want to go running to your legal team right this second?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I want my lawyers on her tail. I pay their salaries—they'll find a way to make Amber wish she was never born."

"I don't doubt the skills of your almighty lawyers. I just think there are a few people we can talk to first before they get involved."

Bill raised his eyebrows, almost mockingly. "Who?"

"Steffy grinned at the realization of the ally that laid right in her pocket. "Marcus."

"Marcus? Are you _insane_? He's the father of her baby, for God's sake! If she saw the way I was lurking up behind her he'd press his own charges against me."

"But you don't—"

"—No. No 'but's' Steffy—no one, and I mean _no one_ can ever find out about what happened that day. You need to take this to the grave." He grabbed a firm hold of her shoulders. "Do you understand me?"

"You're making a mistake. Marcus can help."

"He is to know nothing about this. Now I'm not going to ask you again. Don't. Say. Anything. To anyone. I'm going to handle this my way and that is final."

Steffy broke free from his grasp, and looked him square in the eye. "You're welcome. By the way," she answered icily.

The look he gave her shifted from desperation to sympathy. He took her hand in his and held it. "Steffy," he began softly. "I do appreciate everything you've done for me. Don't think for a second that I don't."

When Steffy saw his expression, she knew exactly what it meant He truly was being sincere.

Bill pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and grazed her cheek gently with his thumb. "You know, sometimes I wonder what I would do if I didn't have you looking out for me. You're loyalty speaks volumes. It's exactly what makes you so fierce, so admirable. You are exceptional in every way."

_Damn. He's good. _"Is sweet-talking stapled into the Spencer gene? Or is it just you?"

For the first time since he arrived at her apartment he actually laughed. "I think I add a special something."

"Yeah, you're something alright," she quipped. Then she turned serious. "Do you think Katie would be able to understand what went through your head that day? What you were truly feeling? Because if you do, you're only fooling yourself."

He rolled his eyes. "Enough about Katie. I don't want to hear it, Ok? I've got enough on my plate to deal with. I don't need you bashing my wife on top of everything else."

"Fine. Just…know I'm here. If you need anything. I'll always be on your side Bill."

"I know," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Good." She smiled.

"Alright, I'm gonna get going. You let me know if Amber bothers you again and 'll make her regret that too."

"I will. And hey," she took hold of his arm before he walked out her door. "Everything will be Ok Bill. This will all turn out in your favor, I can feel it."

He nodded, evidently trying to believe her words to ring true. Then without another word, he was gone.

Steffy slowly shut the door behind her and leaned against it. _"I need to protect my daughter. That is my top priority." _

"_He's the father of her baby, for God's sake! If he saw the way I was lurking up behind her he'd press his own charges against me." _

"_If I have any chance at all at gaining full custody…"_

"_He is to know nothing about this. Now I'm not going to ask you again. Don't. Say. Anything."_

"Oh Marcus," she whispered aloud. "How am I going to be able to help you too?"

**-End of Chapter 4-**


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